Search form

You are here

Gramps Letter #2

Gramps Letter #2

Gramps

August 1, 2000

Dear Realistically Challenged Youth,

You have heard from me before in a letter I sent, expressing my distaste for your publication. Upon reading my own letter, I realized a slight tone of negitivity and feel the need to clarify myself. First of all, this valley HAS gone to hell in the last 20 years, and each year it accelerates at an exponential rate. The old time outdoors people, like myself, are the one's taking it in the shorts here! The outdoors now has a big price tag hanging on it and people are using it like some cheap prostitute. What ever happened to people doing and learning things on their own..... BY EXPERIENCE!! Ohh, I don't know how to fish, so I'm going to buy me a guide for $300 a day. Of course they looked up every river update on the internet, and hounded every fly-shop owner in town to figure out what flies to use. They then manages to catch a few trout, under the clucking wing of some guide, and WHAMO their "Flyfisherman"! Once this is accomplished, its time to buy one of their ridiculous looking hats. A couple more days like that, and they will be ready for their personalized, and always clever, flyfishing license plates. Then it's the out of state guy who wants his elk. Well..... Lets see here....., I'm out of shape, I can't shoot, and I don't know the first thing about elk hunting. What will I do?? I got it!!! I will buy one. And its off to your local outfitter to haul his fat butt all over hell and back until one commits suicide. What is wrong with this picture?? It is the invasion of the all mighty dollar that cheapens the experience. It fills our mountains, lakes and streams with people who don't know how to appreciate the experience because they bought their way past the first few crucial learning steps of the sport. This is very similar to the person who is born with money, and consequently never learns the value of the dollar. THIS is the scorge that is invading this valley!! Do us all a favor people; if your going to do something, do it yourself. I'm sure that in a short amount of time you will realize that the mountains are too steep, the weather too cold, and the trout too smart to waste your valuable money making time in OUR valley. Save the outdoors for the people who really want to be there. It is this, combined with a bad case of irritable bowel syndrome that makes me the grumpy bastard I am.